Botany Lesson
by PodBayDoors
Summary: Sam thought she knew about Valentine's Day flowers- but she didn't. Sam and Jack, of course- set somewhere in Seasons 5-8.


Stargate SG-1and SGA and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime / Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money changed hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author.

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This is a little piece I wrote for Valenship Feb. 9, 2008 on Gateworld. Short and sweet, set somewhere between Season 4 (Divide and Conquer) and Season 7 (Heroes). Enjoy! Sam and Jack, of course.

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**Botany Lesson**

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"So, Carter, we missed Christmas didn't we?" Colonel O'Neill said, peering through his field glasses down into the canyon below, trying to pinpoint the source of enemy fire that currently had them plastered to the ground like wet leaves. 

"Yes, sir." Major Carter replied. "And New Year's, I think." She lay on her belly next to him, slightly further back, more or less out of range. A staff blast hit the canyon wall above her feet, raining debris down on both of them. Well, she thought, that looks like _less._

"Why don't you check, Major?"

"Check what?"

"The date." O'Neill scooted back into the small depression they'd found in the trail on the way up to the stargate.

"Now?"

"Yeah." He put away his binoculars. "You got anything better to do?"

"Not get killed?"

"You're not gonna get killed. Now scoot over." Jack crawled next to her. "These guys aren't going to die for this no-name goa'uld. Not with Yu moving in. They'll quit fighting after dark and we can leave."

"How do you know?"

"We'd already be dead by now."

"Comforting thought, sir."

"Well, Carter, your comfort is my primary concern." He smiled at her and took a drink of water, then offered it to her.

She shook her head. "Then why am I in this hole?"

Jack stuck the canteen back in her vest. It was, after all, much easier to grab her canteen than get out his own. "You can leave if you don't like it."

Sam smiled and flipped open her watch. "It's February 9th."

Another blast hit the dirt just in front of their position. "Colonel, I could just sneak down the path back to that little bend…"

"No. I told you, they'll quit. I'm not letting you risk your ass for no reason."

"I hate sitting here doing nothing."

"I know." Jack put his arms behind his head. "That's why I'm asking about the holidays. Let's see, we got screwed out of Christmas and New Year's, what's next?"

"What do you consider to be a holiday?" Carter queried. "President's Day, Super Bowl Sunday…"

"An excuse for me to break open a case of Guinness."

"…any day?"

"Listen, ...you, I don't drink it every day. Some days I drink Molson's."

"Okay." Sam paused. "Valentine's Day."

Jack looked at her. "That's not a beer drinking holiday."

"I wouldn't know." Sam was glad that dusk was approaching, because she was sure her face was rose-red. She put her head down on her crossed arms and pretended to look down the trail in the opposite direction.

"About beer or about Valentine's Day?"

"Either, I suppose."

There was a long silence. Then he poked her shoulder. "Falling asleep on me?"

She turned her head to look at him. "No."

"Then tell me."

"What?"

Damn. Could she make it any harder? "What about Valentine's Day? I mean, what do women want?"

"Anyone in particular or the sex in general?"

Jack coughed. Sometimes her insistence on using scientifically accurate language went too far. Especially in a tiny cramped foxhole when she was so close he could feel her breath on his cheek.

"Carter. You're around me almost all the time. What do you _think_?"

She wasn't sure what to think. "Well, some women like jewelry. Diamonds and things like that."

"I get the feeling you don't."

"Well, honestly, when would I wear them? And…"

"And?"

"I can whip those up in the lab now."

"Oh." Jack looked up at the sky, which was now a deep purple. He wasn't ready to get up, though.

"Flowers."

"Flowers?"

"Yeah. They're nice. I always wanted to try to grow tea roses, but the climate at home isn't conducive to that. And I'm never around to take care of them." Sam sighed. "Roses."

The sounds in the valley had all but disappeared, and it was finally night. Sam rolled over and sat up, brushing the twigs out of her hair. "Think it's safe?"

Jack looked at her. "That depends."

"On what?"

He didn't say anything, just smiled and helped her to her feet.

* * *

Sam entered her lab a few days later after having had some well-deserved time off. She flipped on the lights and was shocked by a bouquet of bright yellow daffodils sitting on the part of the table that served as a desk. Setting her briefcase on the floor, she picked up the envelope and slid out the card. "Happy Valentine's Day. Colonel O'Neill." 

Sam had to sit down. She was sure he'd forgotten about her, about them. So much time had passed since they'd promised to leave their feelings behind them, and it really seemed like they'd succeeded.

If she could call _that_ success, which most of the time, she couldn't. Sam ran her fingers along the ruffled edges of the beautiful flowers, remembering she'd mentioned roses, but she wasn't complaining. That was just Jack. He wouldn't know a petunia from a pansy.

"Hey, I see you got some flowers today." Janet said, leaning her petite frame in the doorway. "Colonel O'Neill?"

"Yes." Sam was shocked. Janet just assumed- well, she did know a few things no one else did. Still, she seemed so matter-of-fact about it when Sam really expected to be getting a lecture on professionalism right about now.

"He gave me some, too. Come and take a look." Janet waved her to the door.

"Sure." Sam stood up as her heart sank. She should have known. He was just being a nice guy, which was, of course, one of the reasons why she still loved him.

"I wonder what got into him." Janet said pleasantly as they walked down the hall to the infirmary.

"Yeah. I wonder."

Janet opened the door to her office, and there on the desk sat a vase of roses. Sam's spirits lifted. Maybe the flowers had been switched. Maybe he _had_ been listening to her after all and the lowly daffodils were meant for Janet.

"Aren't they nice?" Janet chuckled. "And look at this." Janet handed her the card.

"Roses are red, violets are blue, and we'd all be dead if it wasn't for you," Sam read out loud. She couldn't help but smile, even though she felt more like crying. He'd definitely intended for Janet to get the roses, and goodness knows she deserved them. The fact that his poetry was terrible did make her feel a_ little_ better, though.

"Well, that sounds like the Colonel." Sam handed Janet the card, then wandered back to her lab and sat down to contemplate the little yellow flowers.

"Sam, I have a problem with the infrared spectrum of my lights…" Dr. Lee barged into her lab without so much as a knock. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the flowers. "Wow."

"Nice, huh." Sam said, her tone not matching her words.

"I'll say! They have to be forced this time of the year."

"Forced?" God, that sounded awful. Her day was getting worse by the minute.

"Well, yeah, species _Narcissus_ only grow after a period of cold followed by warm temperatures. There's nowhere on earth where they bloom in early February. So either they came from off-world or they're forced to grow after refrigerating the bulbs for a few weeks." Bill contemplated the flowers. "Very hard to come by."

"Oh." Sam looked at the little wonders with a bit higher regard.

"Whoever gave you those did it for a reason." He eyed the card and his fingers twitched.

Sam got there first and slipped the card under her laptop. "What about the lights?"

Bill knew when to give up. "Well, it _looks_ like infrared, but I don't think it is because…"

"Sam, I need to ask you about these artifacts you brought from…" Daniel walked into her lab, head down, tapping his pencil on a notebook. He saw the flowers and stopped. "Wow."

"Come by my lab later, Sam?" Dr. Lee asked on his way out. The last thing he wanted to hear was Daniel prattling on about some rocks. Sam nodded.

"Daffodils." Daniel cocked his head. "Did you know that most earth-based cultures traditionally thought of these as being the symbol of love?"

"Love?" Sam said, surprised. "I thought that was the rose."

"Ordinarily, yes. But daffodils symbolize a broken heart, or unrequited love. It goes back to the Greek legend of Narcissus and Echo." Daniel smiled. "Who's the unlucky guy, Sam?"

"Daniel…"

"I suppose he could be on any one of a half-dozen planets. Maybe it's that smitten vice-chancellor from PX5-145, or that funny little man on…"

"Or some local loser." Jack stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"Well, whoever it was, he went out of his way." Daniel studied Jack for a moment. His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "_Way_ out of his way." Daniel looked over at Sam. "Can you just drop by my lab later?"

"Sure." Sam watched Daniel leave and then carefully turned her attention to Jack.

He walked over and pulled up a stool next to the table. "Like 'em?" He didn't risk a real smile, but his eyes held a certain energy that was difficult to hide.

"Yes, thank you, sir, they're beautiful. I was surprised."

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Sam was completely taken off-guard.

"That you were surprised." Jack looked at her intently. "You shouldn't have been."

"Oh." She thought about that for a moment.

"So they're okay for now?"

"For now?"

"Yeah, you know, until I can get you something that's _not_ whipped up in a lab."

Sam looked at the flowers, then back at Jack. He watched her face carefully, waiting. "They're okay," she smiled a radiant smile tinged with sadness around the edges.

Jack nodded with relief as he stood up. He tapped his fingers on the table as if typing a period on the end of their discussion, and turned to leave. As he was just about out the door he stopped and looked back.

"Carter. For now."


End file.
